Breast for cotton-gins



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A.S GHULZE. BREAST FOR GOTTON GINS.

No. 517,937. Patented Apr. 10, 1894.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.-

A. SGHULZE. BREAST FOR COTTON ems.

No. 517,937. Patented Apr. 10, 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW SGHULZE, OF1LOTT,TE'XAS.

BREAST FOR COTTON-GINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,937, dated April 10, 1894.

' Application filed September 22, 1893. Serialllo. 486,181. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

' Beit known that I, ANDREW ScHULzE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lott, county of Falls, and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breasts for Ootton-Gins, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specifica ion.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of gin breasts for cotton gins and consists in providing in conjunction with a gin breast an adjustable upper circle to facilitate the formation of the roll, to prevent the seed cotton from overflowin g from the gin breast as the roll rotates, and preserve the proper degree of contact between the gin saws and the roll. 7

My invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a side elevation of a gin breast (detached from the gin) provided with my improvements, showing the adjusting devices for the upper circle. Fig. 2, is a transverse section of a gin breast provided with my improvements. Fig. 3, is a front view, partly in section of one of the side frame pieces of a gin breast, having attached thereto the adj usting devices employed in connection with my invention. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are details.

Referring to the drawings in which the same marks of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several views, 10 is one of the side frame pieces to which is secured the casing surrounding the gin breast. One of said frame pieces 10 is placed at each side of the gin breast and properly secured thereto, at the front of the gin, is the ordinary breast board 11, to which is in turn secured the ordinary seed board 12, which seed board is preferably provided with the fingers 13. At the upper part of the gin breast is the top casing 14 to which are secured the ribs 15. The position of the saws is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, the saws being indicated by the number 16.

The several parts hereinbefore described may be of any ordinary construction and form no part of my present invention. Iwish also to state that my improvements, to be hereinafter described, are applicable to gin breasts of any ordinary construction and are not to "be confined to the specific variety of gin breast illustrated in the drawings and herein described.

The side frame pieces 10 have therein,near the top thereof, apertures 17. (Fig. 4.) Said apertures are situated in the side frame pieces 10, adjacent to the front ends of the upper wall or casing 14. Extending across the front of the gin breast and adapted to rotate in the apertures 17 is a rod or shaft 18, which said ,rod or shaft at one end thereof projects beyond the side frame 10, of the gin breast and is provided upon its outer extremity with an arm19. Thearm19,maybesecuredtotheshaft 18 in any suitable manner, as for instance, it may be made integral therewith, or may be bolted or keyed thereto. The arm is preferably made in the form of an arc of a circle and is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 20. Passing through the slot 20, of the arm 19, is a bolt or adjusting screw 21. (Figs. 1, 3 and 6.) The preferable form of said adjusting screw 21 is illustrated in Fig. 6. By reference to that figure it will be seen that said adjusting screw consists of a reduced outer portion 22, which passes through tension spring hereinafter described. The

coiled or other suitable tension spring 25 just referred to, is secured at one end in the groove 24, formed near the inner end of the adj usting screw 21. The other end of said tension spring is secured to the side frame 10, or the gin casing, by any suitable screw or bolt 26. It will be seen that the adj usting screw 21, may be moved back and forth in the slot 20 of the arm 19 and secured in any desirable position by manipulating the nut 23. The extent to which the arm 19 may be drawn inward by the tension of the spring 25, is controlled by means of a lug 27 formed near the inner end of said arm, saidlug being adapted to come in contact with a second lug situated near the aperture 17 of the side frame 10. It is obvious thatwhen the arm 19, has been draw inward by the tension of the spring 25 to the point Ice at which the lugs 27 and 28 come in contact with one another further inward movement of the arm 19 will be prevented by said lugs.

The rod 18, hereinbefore described, has attached thereto or mounted thereon at either side of the gin breast the curved frame pieces 29. (Fig. 5.) Properly secured to the frame pieces 29 at each side of the gin breast and extending transversely across the same is a board which forms the upper circle 30 (Figs. 2 and 3). The upper circle 30 preferably has the curved form of the frame pieces 29 to which it is secured. Many other modes of securing the upper circle 30 to the shaft 18 Will suggest themselves to the mechanic and I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the means herein described, but consider any means by which the upper circle 30 may be hinged or pivoted to the upper rear portion of the gin frame or casing as being within the spirit of my invention. The upper circle 30 is hinged or secured to the gin frame in such a way that the rear edge thereof will be in immediate juxtaposition or contact with the front edge of the upper casing 14, so that the upper casing 14 and the upper circle 30 will form an uninterrupted surface above the gin breast.

The mode of operation of a gin provided with my improved breast is as follows: The seed cotton is fed into the breast between the upper circle 30 and the seed board 12, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. The roll is formed within the breast between the upper circle 30 and the seed board 12, said roll being in contact with the saws 16 at the lower part thereof. It will be seen that when provided with my invention there is no opening at the upper part of the gin breast and therefore there will be no tendency for the seed cotton forming the roll to overflow as is the case in gin breasts of ordinary construction. Should more cotton be fed into the gin than can be conveniently accommodated, the upper circle 30 will rotate upward, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, so as to form a larger roll box for accommodating the augmented roll. At the same time the continued tension of the spring 25 will operate to hold the roll down into immediate contact with the gin saws 16. The degree of tension exerted by the spring 25 can be controlled at will by shifting the adjusting screw 21 in the slot 20 of the arm 19, as before explained.

Having fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a cotton gin breast the combination of a stationary inner curved portion, a movable portion extending throughout the length of the breast and hinged to said curved portion, said movable portion being curved in continuation of the curve of the stationary portion and means for holding said movable portion against the roll to retain said roll between the stationary and movable portions, substantially as described.

2. A gin breast provided with an upper circle pivoted adjacent to the upper rear wall or casing, a slotted arm connected to said upper circle, and a tension spring, one end of which is adj ustably secured in the slot in said arm.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 5th day of August, 1893, in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREW SOHULZE.

\Vitnesses:

GEO. W. IRVIN, J12, G. W. BARNETT. 

